Leather-working machine.



F. WAYLAND.

LEATHER WORKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.15, 1912.

1,077,267. Patented 001:. 28, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. WAYLAND.

LEATHER WORKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 53.15, 1912.

Patented 001).,28, 1913.

8 BHEETSSEEET 2.

FRANK WAYLAND, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-WORKING- MACHINE.

Application filed February 15, 1912. Serial No. 677,732.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1-913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WAYLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Salem, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented'an Improvement in Leather-VVorking Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for treatin hides, skins and leather and more particu arly for putting out, staking, fleshing, unhairing and like operations.

The present invention has for its object to provide a' superior machine for the purpose specified, in which the hide, skin or leather, which will be hereinafter referred to as the skin, is subjected on its opposite surfaces to the action of two rolls, provided with helically arranged blades or vanes, which cooperate as will be described to simultaneously stretch the skin on its opposite surfaces both longitudinally and laterally, whereby the skin may be treated in a superior mannerand obtain a maximum area of surface. The helicall arranged blades on one roll are made flexible or yielding to compensate for irregularities in the thickness of the skin, and the helically arranged blades of the other roll are made rigid or non-flexible under conditions of use, but are yet substantially .thin, so that the free edge or end of the blade will offer a minimum area of surface for contact with theskin, whereby the stretch or spread of the skin in a lateral direction under the influence of the helical blades of the two rolls, is not nullified by the peripheral friction between the skin and the free end or edge of the stiff or unyielding blade over which the hide is drawn.

To facilitate description and for sake of clearness, the roll having the stiff or rigid blades may be designated the bladed front work roll, and the roll having the yielding blades, the bladed pressure roll, and both constitute work rolls, inasmuch as one works on one side of the skin and the other on the other side thereof. One of the bladed rolls is movable bodily toward the other and provision is made for insuring proper meshing of the bladedrolls in their working position, wherebyihe blades are prevented from striking against each other edge on, and nicking,-breaking or other injury to the same is avoided, and cutting or shearing of the skin is also avoided.

Provision is made for moving the bladed front work-roll bodily into and out of its operative position by power, and for moving the bladed pressure roll bodily with relation to its cooperatingroll .at the will of the operator, so as to vary the pressure of the yielding blade upon the skin.

Provision is made for preventing movement of the bladed pressure roll by the operator, until the bladed front work roll is in its 0 erative position in which a blade on the out work roll overlaps or meshes with a blade on the pressure roll. The bladed pressure roll may be capable of a limited rotaiy movement on its shaft to obtain a s de pressure on the skin after the blades are intermeshed. I

The machine may and preferably will be provided with a yielding bed roll with which the bladed front work roll cooperates, so as to subject the grain side of the skin to a second working, by means of which a superior finish is imparted to the grain side of the skin. The machine may and preferably will be provided also with a plurality of feed rolls, by steam or other means, which is especially serviceable when the machine is used for staking or ironing, vas the skins may be dried and, ironed after they have been subjected to the finishing action above referred to.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in. the claims at the end of this specification.

Flg'ure 1 is a partial front elevation of a I leather working machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, the machine as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of parts for controlling the mechanism taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the feed rolls and the work rolls showing the position of a hide or skin being operated upon. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the gear and detent hereinafter described. Figs. 6 and 'Z are details of a modification in the mechanism for controlling one of the work rolls.i Fig. 8- is an enlarged fragmentary view of a modified construction of one of the work rolls, and Fig. 9, amodified form of yielding blade to be referred to. In the present instance, the invention is which may be hollow and heated viewed from the left hand end of.

' a pulley 221. Pinion 21 is provided with a shown as embodied in one form of machine, in which 1 represents the rear work roll or bladed pressure roll, which is provided with comparatively deep and flexible blades 1*, helically arranged on the roll and diverging from about the center in a manner well understood. The roll 1 is journaled at its ends in blocks 2 mounted to slide in ways 3 on the frame of the machine. In the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the blocks 2 are connected by toggle members 4 and 5, with abutment blocks 6 mounted in ways 3 and adjustable in said ways by screws 7.

The toggle members 4 and 5 are connected by rods 8 with two arms 9 and 10 fixed to a rock-shaft 11, which is journaled at the base of the machine. A foot treadle consisting of two arms 12 connected by abar 13 is secured to rock shaft 1, by means of which treadle the operator may control the rock shaft. V i hen the operator pr down treadle 13, the blades of the j 7 roll 1 will, in the manner li erei scribed, be forced and held against the h or skin H with the desired pressure as t skin passes between the roll and a cotiperating bladed work roll 14, (see Fig. 4), and this pressure may be varied by the operator according to the requirements of the skin being treated. i 4

The front work roll. 14 is provided with helical blades 14 which are rigid or nonflexible under conditions of use with which the blades 1 of roll 1 cooperate. Roll 14 is journaled in bearings on a swinging frame or pair of movable supports, consisting of levers '15, fulcrumed at16 on the ends of the machine frame. The lower arm of each lever 15 is connected by a link 17, with a crank 18 fixed to an intermittently actuated shaft 19, journaled in bearings in the lower part of the frame. The shaft 19 has fixed to it a gear Wheel 20, which meshes with a pinion 21 loosely mounted on shaft 22. Shaft 22 is continuously driven through clutch member 23, which turns therewith, said clutch member being operated by a cone 24 mounted to slide on shaft 22.

In the long upper arms of levers 15 which carry the bladed front'work'roll14, are provided ways 25, in which are mounted boxes 26,'supporting a shaft 27, which carries a feed roll 28 located above the bladed front work roll 14 The front work roll 14 is pro vided with helically arranged blades 14,

which are stiff or rigid and substantially narrow at their free ends or edges, so as to present a substantially small area of surface for contact with the skin, for a purpose as will be described. v

The boxes 26 are yieldingly pressed rearward by means of springs 29, mounted in sockets 30 formed on levers 15. Each box 26 has a forwardly extending rod 31 carrythe pipe 0 frame 15.

ing stop nuts 32 to limit the rearward movement of the feed roll 28. The feed roll 28 cooperates with a feed roll 47 and with a roll 48, which has the double function of a feed roll and of a bed roll, inasmuch as it cooperates with the roll 28 to feed out the skin, and with the front bladed roll 14 to support the skin as it is being finished by said bladed roll. The trunnions 74 of feed roll 47 are journaled in boxes 49, mounted to slide in ways 50 on the frame of the machine, and each is normally ressed toward feed roll 28 by a spring 51. Tlach box 49 is provided with a rod 52 carrying stop nuts 53, which limit the downwardmovement of feed roll 47 The trunnions of bed roll 48 are journaled in boxes 54, mounted to slide in ways 55 on the frame of the machir 3, and said boxes are adjustably held in said ways by screws 56, so that bed roll 48 m properly adjusted with relation to b work roll 14 and feed roll 23.

The bed roll 48 and feed roll 47 are. preferably covered with a layer of felt, and thefeed roll 28 is preferably with a smooth finlshed metal surface, so that when heated it will serve as an ironing roll to iron the skin, 47 and 48 are preferably made hollow, and

as well as a feed roll. dolls 14, 28,

connected by pipes a, b and 0 with any suitable source of heat, such as steam supply, being carried by the swinging The heating of the bladed roll 14 and of the roll 28 effects the ironing of the skin; and the heating of rolls 47 and 48 assists in drying out the felt coverings and also the skins.

One of the trunnions 75 of the bed roll 48 carries a sprocket wheel 33, connected by chain 34 with sprocket wheel 35 fast on the continuously driven shaft 22. Fixed to the same trunnion 75 of bed roll 48, is a gear wheel 76, which meshes with a gear 77 loosely mounted on trunnion 27 of feed roll 28. Gear 77 is provided with a lug 78 arranged between the two lugs 79 on a collar 80 fixed to trunnion 27 of the feed roll 28. Springs 81 between the lugs 78 and the lugs 7 9 hold the lug 78 yieldingly in central position with relation to the lugs 79.

"When the swing arms or levers 15 are in the position shown in the drawings, gears 76 and 77 are in mesh and the feed roll 28 is driven in unison with bed roll 48. But when in the operation of themachine, the gear 77 is thrown into engagement with gear 76, the yielding connection between gear 77 and its trunnion 27, permits a slight relative movement between said gear and its trunnion and enables the gear 77 to adjust itself to properly mesh with the gear 76 when the swing arms are moved into the position shown in Fig. 2. The trunnion 27 atthe other end of feed roll 28 carries another gear 77 similarly connected with its trunnion and cooperat- 'ing with gear 82 fixed to the adjacent end of '14 carries at one end a pulley 83, which is continuously driven, and at its opposite end a pinion 60, which meshes with and drives a gear wheel 61, journaled loosely on a stud 62 projecting from the side of. the lever arm 15. Gear 61 meshes with and drives gear 67 which, in turn, drives a pinion 68 loose on shaft 55 of the bladed rear work roll 1. Fast on pinion 68 and turning therewith is a disk 69, provided with lugs 70 which act through springs 71, and arms 71 fixed to shaft 55 to yieldingly drive the shaft 55.,

The intermediate gear 67 is journaled on a stud 66, which also pivotally connects two links 63 and 64 hung loosely upon said stud 62 and shaft 55. Thus the springs 71 atford a yielding grip upon the skin between the sides of the co-acting helical blades of the work rolls 1, 14, and the force or pres- .sure thus exerted on the skin may be regulated by means of screws 72 and 73. The shafts 59 and 55 are geared together, and the gears remain in mesh when the swing arms 15 are moved, and therefore it follows that there is a slight rearward rotary movement of the bladed rear work roll 1 when the bladed front work roll is moved away from the rear work roll, and a slight forward rotary movement of the rear work roll 1 when the bladed work roll 14 is moved into its working position shown in Fig. 2.

The clutch operating cone 24 is connected with a shipper lever 37 fixed to the rockshaft 38, which is journaled in the base of the machine frame. Rock-shaft 38 is also provided with a treadle 39, through which .the operator can shift cone 24 back and forth. Shaft 38 also has 'fixed to it a gear segment 40, which engages a. segment 41 fixed to a rock-shaft 42 journaled in the base of the machine frame. Rock-shaft 42 carries an upwardly extending detent 43, which cooperates with the interrupted annular flange 44 on the side of the gear wheel 20. The flange 44 is made with sockets 45 arranged diametrically opposite each other to engage the laterally extended end 46 of detent 43.

When the operator depresses treadle 39, the shipper lever 37 is swung in the direction to cause cone 24 to set clutch member 23, thereby connecting pinion 21 to shaft 22. At the same time, the rocking movement of shaft 38 acts through segments and 41 and rock-shaft 42 to swing detent 43 out of engagement with the socket in flange 44. Thus, at the same moment when gear 20 is connected with the continuously driven shaft 22 by means of gear 21, it is also freed from detent 43. Upon the depression of treadle 39, with the levers 15 carrying the bladed front work roll 14 in the position shown in the drawings, the cranks 18 will make a half revolution, at the end of which the detent 43 will again drop into engagement with one of the sockets 45, thus stopping the gear 20 and also acting through shaft 42, segments 41 and 40, shaft 38 and shipper lever 37, to disengage the clutch member 23 and thereby disconnect the pinion 21 from the continuously driven shaft 22. Thus, each time gear 20 is convnected with shaft 22 through the operation of treadle 39, it makes a half revolution upon the completion of which it is automatically stopped. When gear 20 is thus caused to make a half revolution from the position shown in the drawings. this half revolution through cranks 18, links 17, and lever arms 15. swings the bladed front work roll 14 and the feed roll 28, which is also supported on swing arms 15, backward or to the right as viewed in Fig. 2, away from the bladed rear work roll 1 and bed roll 47 and feed roll 48, leaving a space between the rolls for the insertion of a skin. When the operator again presses treadle 39, the same mechanism will cause another half revolution to be imparted to gear wheel 20, thereby again closing the bladed work rolls 14, 1, together with the skin therebetween. As the skin is drawn upward by feed rolls 28, 47 and the bed roll 48 moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, the bladed work rolls 1 and 14, which are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows, stretch the skin laterally in either direction from the center of the machine, and at the same time longitudinally on account of the tension exerted between the feed rolls and the bladed work rolls, or otherwise act upon the skin to stake it, flesh it, unhair it, etc., as the case may be, and finally draw the skin out of the work rolls and deliver it clear of the machine. I

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen, that th-eskin is operated upon its opposite sides by bladed rolls, and that'the blades of the front work roll 14 over which the skin is drawn, are narrow or substantially narrow so as to present as little surface area as possible, consistent with stiffness, for contact 115 with the skin, whereby the peripheral friction produced by dragging the skin over the edge. of a. blade of the front work roll 14 is not sufiicient to overcome the lateral stretch of the skin by the helical form of the 120 rigid blade 14 over which'it is being drawn, consequently. the skin is stretched or worked out simultaneously in a lateral and long1-- tudinal direction, and as a result, the skin is treated or worked in a superior manner, 125 which is especially beneficial, as this feature of the invention enables the skin to be staked as well as put-out. The roll 28 when heated also irons the skin. The operator may then again depress treadle 39, causing 180 lid other half revolution and stop,

to make anleaving the two sets of rolls separated, whereupon he may reverse the skin and again insert it in the machine, thus repeating the operation as many times as is necessary.

During the passage of the skin within the work rolls 1 and 14, the operator de resses treadle 13-12 and thereby secures t e desired pressure or pinch between the helical blades 1 and 14 of the work rolls 1 and 14, varying the said pressure according to the particular skin being operated upon. The depression of treadle 13 acts through rockshaft 11, arms 9 and 10, and rods 8 to expand the toggles 4-5 (Figs. 2 and 4), and thereby force the rear work roll or bladed ressure roll 1 toward the front bladed work roll 14, which has the double efiect of pressing the blades 1 of work roll 1 nearer to the roll 14, and also, by reason of the gear connection above described, of slightly rotating the roll 1 and blades 1 to advance or move slightly toward the rear side of the blade 14*, thereby exerting increased pressure between the sides of the blades 1 14 of the two work rolls. When the operator relieves pressure on treadle 13, 12, the springs 57 (Fig. 4) assisted by springs 84 engaging rods 8, shift the bladed work roll 1 away from the bladed work roll 14, thereby retracting the sides of blades 1* from the sides of blades 14 Provision is made for preventing the operator moving the bladed pressure roll 1 forward, before the bladed front work roll 14 has been brought into its operative or working position, with a blade 14 overlapping or intermeshing with a blade 1, and thereby preventing the said blades from striking against each other edge on, with the possibility of nicking, bending, breaking or otherwise injuring the blades and conse quently rendering the machine inoperative for perfect work, and also preventing the blades cutting or otherwise damaging the skin. To this end, a lock or stop for the treadle 18 is provided, which may be made as herein shown, and which consists of an arm 58 on the hub of the toothed segment 41, (see Fig. 3), said arm being extended under the crank or arm 9, and preventing downward movement of the same, until the sto arm 58 has been lowered away from the crank 9 so as to permit thelatter to move downward and operate the rod 8 to straighten the toggle 45.

The stop arm 58 is controlled by the starting treadle 39 and when the latter is depressed, the stop arm 58 is brought up under the crank 9 and is held there, until the treadle 39 is again raised, which takes place when the stop finger 46 enters a notch in the flange 44 on the gear 20, at which time, the bladed work roll 14 is in its working posithe gear wheel 20 and cranks 18 novaaor tion and a blade 14 thereon overlaps or meshes with a blade 1 on the bladed roll 1, consequently the latter can be moved by the operator without any possibility of injury to the blades or to the skin by such movement.

Just below the work roll 1 may be arranged a tension roll 85 journaled at its ends in boxes 86, which are mounted to slide in ways on the machine frame; said boxes being supported by springs, one of which is shown at 87, and each box 86 is provided with a rod 88 carrying stop nuts 89, which engage the frame to limit the movement of the boxes under the influence of their springs. This tension roll 85 is actuated, so that, when the bladed front work roll 14 is swung into its operative position with relation to the bladed work roll 1, it extends partly over the roll 85 and the latter acts as shown in Fig. 4, to wrap the skin for some distance around the periphery of bladed work roll 14, and exert a gentle tension on the skin before it passes between the blades of the work rOllS. Said tension roll draws the skin sharply around the edge of the blade 14 of the front work roll.

In Figs. 6 and 7, there is illustrated a modified form of support and controlling mechanism for the bladed rear work roll 1, consisting in mounting the rear work roll at each end upon a lever 90, pivoted at 91 on a block 6" mounted in ways 8 and adjustably held in place by screws 7. Each lever 90 is made with an arm 92 carrying a weight 93 to counterbalance the weight of the work roll 1. With this construction the upper ends of rods 8 are pivotally connected with the truunions of the rear work roll 1, and when the rods 8 are pulled down as described by means of the tread'le 13-12, the roll 1 is swung bodily downward on 91 as an axis, or in a direction tangential to bladed roll 14, thereby exerting increased pressure between the sides of the blades of the work rolls. Thus, it will be seen that whether the toggle device shown in Fig. 2, or the lever device shown in Figs. 6 and 7 be used, the bladed work roll 1 will be moved bodily with relation to the bladed work roll 14, and with relation to the feed rolls, in such manner as to vary the pressure between the sides of the helical blades of the two work rolls, without at all atiecting the relation of the other rolls as between themselves. Instead of making the blades 1 each in one continuous piece of metal, they may be made in short sections, as shown in Fig. 8 at 1, and set into cylinder 1 end to end, thus forming substantially continuous helices as before. This will enable the helical blades to be made of tempered steel, which would be difficult if the blades were formed in one continuous strip. As the Work roll 1 (Fig. 8) rotates in thedirection of the arrow, the

pre$ure of the work will be onv the leading side of the blade tending to bend the blades backward in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation. Therefore, as one section 1 is leaving contact with the skin and the next section 1 is coming into contact with the skin, the corners ofthe sections might cut or score the skin unless the adjacent ends of the blades were supported by each other sotthat neither corner would be bent in advance of the other. To this end I attach the blocks or cleats, 1, to the rear side (considered with relation to the direction of rotation) of the adjacent ends of the blade sections, one to one blade section and the other to the other, with the end of each overlapping the opposite blade section. Thus, when more pressure is exerted at the end of one blade section than to the adjacent end of another section, the cleats, 1, will cause both ends to bend e ually.

By reference to F1g. 2, it will beobserved, that the links 63, 64 practically form a toggle, and that the gear 67 is mounted upon the center pin 66 of the toggle, with the result, that as the swing arms 15 are moved from their operative or working position, shown in Fig. 2, into their open or inoperative position, not shown, but which is toward the right, viewing Fig. 2, the toggle levers 63, 64 are moved toward a straightened position, and in this movement, the gear 67 remains in engagement with both the gear 61 and with the pinion 68, and consequently the relation of the blades 14, 1 of the bladed work rolls 14, 1, remain the same in the open position as they do in the closed position of said rolls, with the result, that the coiiperating blades of the two rolls are maintained in their proper relation to insure the proper or desired overlapping or meshing of the blades, when the bladed front work roll is moved into its closed or operative position, for during the closing movement of the bladed front work roll, the gear 67 remains in mesh with the gear 61 and pinion 68. Y

- The operation of the machine herein shown.

may be riefly described, as follows: Assume that'the work rolls 1, 14 are provided with blades 1, 14, whose edges are properly shaped for putting out the skins, and also assume that the bladed roll 14 is in its open or inoperative position. With the machine in this condition, the operator throws the skin over the feed roll 28 and bladed work roll 14, which at such time may or may not be in motion, depending upon the slip of the belt on the pulley 83. On the other hand, the pulley 221 and shaft 22 are driven continuously, so that, when the operator depresses the starting treadle 39, clutch 24 is thrown into its operative position and the pinion 21 is rendered fast on the shaft 22, and at the same time the locking dog or the rolls 47,

inequalities in the finger 46is moved out of one of the notches 45 and the crank shaft 19 is set in rotation. During a half revolution of the shaft 19, the swing arms 15 are turned on their pivots 16 by the cranks l8 and connecting rods 17, the bladed work roll 14 and feed roll 28 are moved toward the bladed pressure roll 1 and 48, or into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4; When the bladed work roll 14 has been brought into its operative position, a blade 14 thereon .carries the sk1n H under a blade 1 on the bladed rear work roll 1 as represented in Fig. 4, and at or about this time, the dog or finger 46 enters one of the notches 45 and disconnects the clutch and stops rotation of the crank shaft 19. The skin is then fed out of the machine by the feed rolls 28, 47, assisted by the bed roll 48, and the movement of the sk1n is resisted by the bladed work rolls 14, 1, which are rotated in the opposite direction to the feed rolls. The skin is drawn across the free or outer edge of the blade-14 and is held under pressure by the blade 1 cooperating with the blade 14, and by reason of the fact that the blade 14 is narrow at its free end, the peripheral friction between the skin and the edge or landing of the blade 14 is reduced to such extent as to enable the helical form of the blades 14*, 1 to perform their function and stretch or put out the skin laterally simultaneously with the longitudinal stretch, a result which is especially desirable in working substantially thin or light hides or skins, and which is not accomplished if the landing or edge of either of the blades 14, 1 is of material width'and such as to cre ate considerable peripheral friction between the blades 14, 1 and the skin. The blade 1 is made'flexible or yielding to take care of thickness of the skin, so that the latter may be treated in a uniform manner throughout its entire surface. The pressure of the yielding blade 1 upon the skin may be increased, after the bladed front work roll has-been brought into its closed or operative position, by the operator depressing the treadle 13, which at such time is free to be depressed, as thelocking arm 5'8 at such time is in its lowered position and permits the crank arm 9 to be depressed. After the skin has been worked'on its opposite sides or surfaces by the bladed work rolls, it may and preferably will be further worked on one side, namely, the grain side, so as to improve this side by imparting to the same a superior finish, which is accomplished in the machine herein shown, by employing the roll 48 as a bed roll, which supports the skin while the grain side thereof is worked by the rigid blades of the front work roll, after the manner of the putting out machines now in use,- and employing a felt or rubber-covered roll as a support for the hide or In the present machine, it

will be observed, that the skin is most effectively put out and stretched longitudinally and laterally by the bladed work rolls, and therefore it is in a superior condition for the finishing of the grain in the same machine. The flexibility of the blades 1 may be obtained by making the blades of the proper thinness, as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, or, if desired, the blades may be made thicker and the flexibility desired may be obtained by providing the relatively thick blade with perforations after the manner represented in Fig. 9.

From the above description, it will be seen that the machine herein shown is capable of performing a large number of operations by providing the work rolls with the proper blades or working edges for the particular work to vbe performed. For instance, the machine may be used for puttingout, and when so used, the skin is first put-out and stretched by the work rolls 1, let, and the grain side is then further treated, or the blades may be provided with edges suitable for fieshing and the blades 14 with edges suitable for unhairing and'both operations carried on simultaneously, or the blades may be provided with edges suitable for staking, a result which is not possible with any machine known to me and employing a pair of work rolls.

1 have herein shown the invention as embodied in one construction of machine, which may be preferred, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction herein shown.

Claims.

1. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged substantially stiff blades provided with narrow edges, to engage one surface of the work, a movable carrier for said bladed work roll, a rotatable shaft connected with said carrier to effect movement of said bladed work roll into and out of its operative position, means for controlling rotation of said shaft, a bladed pressure roll having helically arranged flexible blades, cooperating with the first-mentioned bladed work-roll and toward and from which the latter roll is bodily moved by rotation of said shaft, said flexible blades engaging the opposite surface of the work, mechanism for bodily moving said bladed pressure roll toward and from the first-mentioned bladed work roll when the latter is in its operative position, and a lock for said mechanismto prevent the bodily movement of the bladed pressure roll toward the firstmentioned bladed work-roll until the latter has been brought into its operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged substantially non-yielding blades having narrow edges, to engage one surface of the work, a movable carrier for said bladed workroll, power-operated means for moving said carrier and bladed roll into and out of their operative position, a pressure roll having helically arranged flexible blades which cooperate with the blades of the first-mentioned work roll when the latter is in its operative position, manuallyoperated means to move said bladed pressure roll toward the first-mentioned bladed work-roll, and means to prevent the said manually operated means being operated to move said pressure roll-until the first-mentioned bladed work roll has been brought into its operative position, substantially as described,

3. in a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged non-yielding blades provided with substantially narrow free edges a pressure roll having helically arranged flexible blades which cooperate with the blades of the said work roll and overlap the same in their working position, a carrier for one of said rolls movable toward and from the other of said rolls, means "to move said carrier, and feed rolls cooperating with said bladed rolls to draw the work between, substantially as described.

i. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged non-yielding blades provided with substantially narrow free edges, a pressure roll having helically arranged flexible blades which coiiperate with the blades of the said work roll and overlap the same in their working position, a carrier for one of said rolls movable toward and from the other of said rolls, means to move said carrier, and means for preventing the blades of the rolls striking edge on when the bladed roll on said carrier is moved into its working position, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, power-operated means for moving one of said bladed rolls into and said rolls, power-operated means for moving one of said bladed rolls'into and out of its working position, manually operated means for moving the other of said bladed rolls toward the first-mentioned bladed roll, and means to prevent the manually-operated means from being operated until they poweroperated mechanism has brought the bladed roll moved by it into its working position.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, aiwork roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, feed rolls cooperating with said bladed rolls, one of said feed rolls being provided with a smooth exterior metallic surface, and means for heating said feed roll to cause it to iron the work, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades coiiperating with the blades of the said Work roll, and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, and means for heating said bladed work roll, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, a support for one of said bladed'rolls movable toward and from the other bladed roll, and means for manually moving the other of said bladed rolls toward the bladed roll carried by the movable support, substantially as described.

10. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said Work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, a support for one of said bladed rolls movable toward and from the other bladed roll, means for manually moving the other of said bladed rolls toward the bladed roll carried by the movable support, and gearing connecting said rolls at all times, substantially as described.

11. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its bladesoverlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, a supportfor one of said bladed rolls movable toward and from the other bladed roll, means for manually moving the other of said bladed rolls toward the bladed roll carried by the movable support, and means for preventing edge-on contact of the blades of said rolls as one is moved from its inoperative or open position into its operative or closed position.

12. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, and means to permit one of the said bladed rolls to rotatively move with relation to the other while their blades are intermeshed.

13. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a work roll having helically arranged blades, a pressure roll having helically arranged blades cooperating with the blades of the said work roll and having one of its blades overlapping a blade on the work roll in the working position of said rolls, and a bed roll cooperat ing with one of said bladed work rolls to enable one side of the skin to be treated by one of the bladed Work rolls after both sides of said skin have been treated by said bladed work rolls.

14. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a pair of work I'Olls having helically arranged blades, which engage the opposite surfaces of the skin in the operative position of said rolls, and a bed roll cooperating with one of the said work rolls to support the skin and enable one surface thereof to be treated by one of said work rolls after both surfaces of said skin have been treated by said pair of Work rolls, substantially as described.

15. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a pair of Work rolls having helically arranged blades, which engage the opposite surfaces of the skin in the operative position of said rolls, and a work support cooperating with one of said work rolls to support the skin and enable one surface thereof to be treated by one of said work rolls after both surfaces of said skin have been treated by said pair of work rolls, substantially as described.

16. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a pair of work rolls having helically arranged blades, which engage the opposite surfaces of the skin in the v operative position of said rolls, and a bed roll cooperating with one of the said work rolls to support the skin and enable one surface thereof to be treated by one of said work rolls after both surfaces of said skin have been treated by said pair of 'work rolls,

and a feed roll cooperating with said bed roll.

17. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a pairof work rolls having helically arranged working edges, which engage the opposite surfaces of the skin, and means adjacent to one of said work rolls to wrap the skin about the latter work roll and exert a tension on the skin, substantially as described.

18. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a pair of work rolls having helically arranged blades or vanes, which overlap in the working position of said rolls and which are provided with substantially narrow edges or landings to proow/mo;

duce a minimum peripheral friction between the skin and the said edges and thereby prevent the lateral putting-out 0f the skin by the helical form of the blades being nullified by the said peripheral friction, whereby a maximum putting-out of the opposite surfaces of the skin both laterally and longitudinally may be simultaneously effected.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thevpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAs. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

